Meet the Bat

A harmless mob that still gives us the creeps

We've never really understood why criminals are so scared of Batman. Sure, he's a crime-fighting genius who could break every bone in your body for even just thinking about being a wrong 'un, but he's also a grown man dressed as a bat. We refuse to be intimidated by anyone who's costume includes a pointy-eared hat.

Stick us in a dark cave full of Minecraft bats, however, and we'll be weeping in no time. The fourth smallest mob in the game (and the only one capable of flight), these black rats with wings spawn constantly and produce a squeak so shrill you'll wish you were deaf. Bats are actually no physical threat to you in Minecraft, an example of a 'useless mob', but that doesn't mean we can't find them creepy. And our last pickaxe just broke, so it looks like we're trapped in this cave full of them. Save us, Batman!

"An atmospheric mob is a mob that constantly spawns, similar to the Squid, but also constantly despawns, because when a player isn't around it doesn’t serve any purpose anymore. They're essentially atmospheric additions, but it was fun to make them, though it was tricky to make them turn upside down when they were standing still. People complain a lot about the noises they make - that squeaky noise can be very high pitched! - so they've been lowered in volume since release."
Jens Bergensten

This might be why our concept album Screeching FTW: The Best of Minecraft Bat Noises! didn't top the charts. But Jens has a point; spelunking without those squeaking, flapping rodents just wouldn't carry that same creepy cave atmosphere. Plus after fighting Creepers, Slimes, Spiders and all sorts of underground horrors, who doesn't want to cross paths with a harmless mob, one that only wants to hurt your eardrums? Feel free to share our cave, bats. All is forgiven.